Edinboro “peace thugs” admit “They were wrong”
Frequent commenter and good friend to This Ain’t Hell, Dan Maloney, NY State Coordinator, Gathering of Eagles, and a blogger in his own right, alerts us to the judgment in the Swartout case that has been the subject of much discussion here over the few weeks. GoErie.com reports;
A peace group that meets in Edinboro will receive training in nonviolent conflict resolution — a result of two members being charged for their parts in an April 22 brawl.
Trainers from the Erie Peace Initiative will meet with the Tuesdays at Two group, which includes a number of students from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. The session has not yet been scheduled.
Two members of the group — Alyssa Stelmack, 21, and her sister, Andria Stelmack, 23, both of Erie — were charged with harassment after they fought with a Townville couple that crossed the street to challenge their anti-war rhetoric.
The group’s leader issued a mealy-mouthed apology of sorts;
“They were wrong,” said Richard McVay, a Penn Action activist who met with the sisters after the fight. “They were wrong to react violently to a violent provocation. But I can see how it could happen.”
The Swartouts had the same charge levied on them;
The Townville couple — Jason Swartout, 33, and his wife, Carrie Swartout, 30 — also were charged with harassment, a summary offense. They have not responded to requests for comment.
Despite the fact that I’ve been accused of being against the Swartouts by implying they had some measure of culpability here, apparently the court agreed with me. No amount of exclamation points can change the truth. I hope this a lesson for both sides – if we’re going to have a discussion about this, neither side wins when the discussion is raised to the level of physical confrontation. I’ll admit there have been times my anger has boiled over, but nothing is gained by clocking the opposition and getting arrested.
Category: Antiwar crowd, Gathering of Eagles, Legal
“nothing is gained by clocking the opposition and getting arrested.”
Yep!
But Jonn, in your case, you have the discipline to not pound the shit out of gutless, hate-filled, anti-military extremists, like the gutless, hate-filled, anti-military extremists did to the Swartouts!
DISCIPLINE is what separates REAL Americans like you and I from the gutless, hate-filled, anti-military scum-sucking extremists!!!
We’ve got it, and THEY DON’T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jonn wrote: Well I do. I’m not so sure about you.
“I hope this a lesson for both sides – if we’re going to have a discussion about this, neither side wins when the discussion is raised to the level of physical confrontation. I’ll admit there have been times my anger has boiled over, but nothing is gained by clocking the opposition and getting arrested.”
Here! Here! I’d raise a glass, but all I have handy is a cuppa tea. Well said.
By the way, the comments on the story over at GoErie are really something. There is one guy billing himself as “Hector the Protector” and he is a riot. I had to Google one of the references just to get his point, but they’re worth the read.
“nothing is gained by clocking the opposition and getting arrested.”
I agree. Thus the definition for “Stress” is the inability (judicial, not physical) to kick the feces out of someone who truly needs it. In the PGR we just turn our back on people who attempt to disrupt the services and honor our heroes. It really irritates them… LOL.
What violent provication? A US citizen exercising his right to be in a public place and videotape the moonbats where they have no expectation of privacy, hence no right to privacy.
I place the blame for this at the feet of Sanford Kelson for filling the heads of a couple of airheads with BS he knew would cause a violent reaction by the airheads.